The Rise and Fall of Save Darfur
On April 30, 2006, nearly 70,ooo Darfur activists gathered on the National Mall to “Save Darfur Now”…
That fall, on September 17, 2006, approximately 20-30,000 activists gathered for the “Save Darfur Now: Voices to Stop Genocide” event in New York City’s Central Park.
Now, 3 years later, on April 19, 2006, approximately 200 (no, that’s NOT a typo: 2-0-0) Darfur activists gathered in Lafayette Park to “Honor the Past and Act Now for Darfur”…
Get the picture? “Houston, we have a problem!” A BIG PROBLEM. But what is it?
Was it a poorly conceptualized and/or executed event? (Definitely.)
OR is the issue of Darfur less salient today? (TBD)
OR was the event a stark indicator of Save Darfur’s declining relevance and political power? (Probably.)
OR, worst of all for SDC, all of the above? (Probably.)
Attendance figures never tell the whole story, but they are a good indicator of “movement” momentum and overall strength. And the story these numbers tell is more Stephen King than J.K. Rowling.
